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Thornback Ray Details - Raja clavata This is the commonest of the rays found around the coast of Wales, and much of the so-called 'skate' sold in fish shops is in fact thornback. In 1981 at 31 lb 7 oz (nearly 15 kg) thornback ray was caught off the North Wales coast, and this holds the welsh rod-caught record. The upper body is covered in prickles and, once the fish is mature, a number of large spines - hence its common name. Found usually over sand and mud in water of 10 to 60 metres depth, thornback rays will move into the shallows in spring when they are ready to spawn. They lay their eggs between March and August, and it takes about five months for the eggs to hatch. Young thornback rays feed on crustaceans and other bottom-dwelling creatures, switching more to eating crabs and small fishes as they develop. They reach maturity in about eight years.
Raja clavata - Thornback Ray To avoid taking in silt when resting on the bottom, thornbacks draw water into their gill chamber through a hole just behind the eye - this aperture is called a spiracle. |
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